Spring cleaning. You likely either love it or you loathe it. According to e-cloth.com, “The term ‘spring clean’ dates to around 1855–1860, but the act of spring cleaning began far back in to the distant past.”
This decades-old tradition largely evolved as a means of freshening rooms after a long, stuffy winter, airing out soot-covered interiors in homes heated by fireplaces during the cold months. In those days, people rarely bathed or washed clothing during the winter months, so spring cleaning was desperately needed once the cold abated and everything started to warm up.
Now, many people utilize the warmer weather and longer days for cleaning windows, washing under and behind refrigerators and vacuuming under couch cushions (among other things).
For many people, the need for a big spring cleaning may not feel so important, but there are still plenty of folks who look forward to the annual deep clean and purge in the spring.
So, what to clean in your house? Here are some ideas!
Wash curtains and dust blinds: Use a damp rag, a microfiber blind duster, or your vacuum cleaner and attachment on the blinds.
Vacuum mattresses and wash mattress pads
Clean and sanitize shower curtains Add a cup of vinegar to your washing machine’s regular wash cycle (in addition to laundry soap).
Clean the junk drawer Consider buying small baskets to corral like items if you want to be able to find things quickly.
Reorganize the linen closet
Clean the range hood vent These attract all kinds of grease and gunk. First, remove the filters and wipe them down with hot water and Dawn in the sink after they’ve soaked for 10 minutes. Clean gunk off the hood with the same water and soap solution.
Wipe down cabinet fronts Mix a 50/50 solution of vinegar and warm water, put it in a spray bottle, and mist it on the cabinets. Let the solution sit for a minute or two, and then wipe clean with a soft cloth.
Get a grip on that Tupperware drawer Corralling all of those little lids in a storage basket helps a lot.
Scrub under the bathroom sinks Remove everything and wipe out the underside of the sink and cabinet with a damp rag.
Clean out the fireplace Clean the dust and soot from the floor and interior walls of the fireplace. The brick around your fireplace may need cleaning, as well. A paste of cream of tartar and water is perfect for unpainted brick.
Wash pillows Wash pillows two at a time in a normal washing machine cycle.
Wipe out the inside of the fridge
Dust ceiling fans The easiest way to do this is to slip a pillowcase over the blade and let all the dust fall in. You can also buy microfiber ceiling fan dusters.
Wipe down air vents
Spring cleaning doesn’t have to be just for your physical dwelling! Here are some other ideas to clean and purge every area of your life!
-Delete unimportant emails and unsubscribe from email lists
-Match up that mismatched sock pile and get rid of the missing partners
-Dispose of expired medication
-Wash and and store winter outerwear
If you’re not going on a spring break, why not spring clean? Give yourself a fresh reset for the new season ahead!
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